Premier Must Exclude Minister from Child Protection Matters

Media Release | 16 September 2025
‍

Nick Goiran MLC
Shadow Attorney-General; Child Protection
‍

The Opposition today called on Premier Roger Cook to take responsible action in response to the recent judgment of the District Court in DB v State of Western Australia [2025] WADC 60.

In that case, delivered on 9 September 2025, Her Honour Black DCJ found that decisions by the then Department for Community Services led to a chain of events that resulted in the further significant sexual abuse and consequential harm of a young child in State care.

The Court’s judgment records that Don Punch, now the Member for Bunbury and a senior Minister in the Cook Labor Cabinet, was an acting supervisor who attended a case conference on 20 December 1988 with the child’s step-father. This was just weeks after the Children’s Court had found that the step-father had sexually abused both the plaintiff and his sister.

Her Honour recounted uncontested evidence that Mr Punch and his colleague recommended a plan of family reunification to the Director General. She described the approach recommended and adopted at the time as “startling and incomprehensible.”

“Western Australians should be appalled to learn that a sitting Cabinet Minister was involved in departmental decisions that, according to the District Court, contributed to a child being returned to an abuser,” Shadow Child Protection Minister Nick Goiran said.

“The Court could not have been clearer in describing this as ‘startling and incomprehensible’.

“The Premier must, without delay and without equivocation, rule out ever appointing Mr Punch as Minister for Child Protection or allowing him to act in that capacity even for a single day.”

Mr Goiran today gave notice of a motion in Parliament’s upper house calling on the Premier to:

• Confirm that Hon Don Punch MLA will never be appointed Minister for Child
  Protection or Acting Minister for Child Protection;
• Ensure that if Mr Punch remains in Cabinet, he will have no involvement in any
  child protection decision-making; and
• Direct the current Minister for Child Protection to deliver a statement to
  Parliament within 30 days detailing the safeguards in place today, and how their
  effectiveness is being monitored, to prevent such a tragedy being repeated.
  ‍

“Children in care are among the most vulnerable members of our community. The Premier cannot simply do nothing following this judgment,” Mr Goiran said.

“He must act immediately to reassure the people of Western Australia that not only have lessons been learned, but responsible action has been taken.”

ENDS

Contact: Graham Mason 0419 194 792

‍